Can a hospital say it won’t hire fat people?

According to the Texas Tribune, “The Citizens Medical Center policy, instituted a little more than a year ago, requires potential employees to have a body mass index of less than 35 — which is 210 pounds for someone who is 5-foot-5, and 245 pounds for someone who is 5-foot-10. It states that an employee’s physique ‘should fit with a representational image or specific mental projection of the job of a healthcare professional,’ including an appearance ‘free from distraction’ for hospital patients.

“The majority of our patients are over 65, and they have expectations that cannot be ignored in terms of personal appearance,” hospital chief executive David Brown said. “We have the ability as an employer to characterize our process and to have a policy that says what’s best for our business and for our patients.”

Whaddya think?

– Fair decision on discrimination?

– What if fat people promised to lose weight if they were hired?

– If this is OK, what other kinds of applicants could be ruled out — such as smokers?

– Would a policy like this be OK for a health facility but not other types of businesses?

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